The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-10-12

oAACJ "CAS SSA3'A4ic
dog Rolla were here!S Instantly 4
huge black Newfoundland dog landed
in the midst of the party; nearly knock
ing Eertie out of the carriage spd caus-
ing cne of the children to cry out
"HoR tifesome you are, Peter! wish
you were home" instantly Peter and
his dog disappeared; and az nc had m
vited the party, they all felt very I'M
comfortable Then some one wished
they had pair Of ponies instead oi a
pair of horses The ponies appeared,
and then the harness did not fit, and
all had to stop and put matters straight.
When they had started again, one boy
wished the ponies would run away, 1t
would be 80 exciting; and run away
they did, upsetting the carriage. break
ing the harness, and throwing every
one out.
Bertie had not been long in the Land
of Fulfilled Wishes before he was
heartily sick of it and inquired of every
one how to get away. "OnlF through
the Land of Common Sense, they told
him. ITO enter that Land you have to
pass through the triple gates OF Teach
ableness, Obedience, and Sels-control,
nor can you go through these gates
without pass certifying that You have
spent at least twentyfour hours with
out once saying I wish. ;"
Eertie felt quite sure that he would
soon get away, but he had no idea how
many days would go by before he would
earn his pass Cnce he actually spent
twentv-three hours without once wing
Il wish" and then looking up thought
lessly at the clock exclaimed: "Oh, |
wish the hands would go faster!" OF
course, then he had to begin all over
again.
But Bertie was not easily discouraged
when he had once made up his mind to
a thing, and at last he succeeded in OBJ
tanning his cert ticate. On presenting
himself at the gates, they ro led back
easily and let HIM pass through, then
flew back again and shut with sharp
click behind him.
Bertie now found himself in the
Land of Common Sense, where people
only ate when they were hungry, dr. nix
when they were thirsty, wore clothes
to keep them warm, and built the:r
houses for comfort and not for show.
Here Bertie staid q good while, and
saw many wo&ders. There we're en-
ployers who only expected a fair days
work for fair days wages, servants
who worked just as well when their
employer was absent as when lie was
present, parents who did not expect
their children to have an old head on
young sho lders, children who tho"ght
that their parents knew bet cr wliat
was for their own good han they did
themselves. teachers who b"l:c"c that
all work and no play makes even a
bright boy dull, pupils who did not
think that a lesson shirked WIS a posi-
tive gain, and, more than a |, in Il. 5
strange land every one seemed to real
ize that his neighbor's rights and feel!
ings were Just as much to lie es22Ste:l
as his own.
At length, however, Bertic b,yan to
feel that he would like to g. home, ard
wondered how he should manage tbs,
when, in the course OF his wander ngs,
he came across his tigerskin curlrd up.
as though it were taking a nap, in q
corner. Bertie sci ell, u ro,l 4 1! 4
spread it out, then lying down upon i,
he began talking to the skin and coax
ing it to take him home. While talk
ing thus he became very tlrow>v, anil
Just then the skin began to rise with
him. Instead OF waking he became
more and more drowsy, and at length
fell asleep. He never knew when the
tigcrskin stopped, but when lie opened
his eyes he was in his own Little bed n
the nursery and his mother was stand
ing by looking at him. why, Bert e, :"
she sal !, what long sleep you have
had. We found you on the tigerskin
yesterday. undressed and pat on tc
bed without your once awakening, aHd
you have been asleep ever since"
Bertie knew better, but he did no.
contradict his mother; he had been too
long in the Land OF Common Sense for
that, nor did he tell the story Of his
visit to the Land of Fulfilled wishes
tilt he was a grown man and had lit.
tie boy of his own.-Shettert7lg dJ'hiS.